Kirby Star Allies: Alternative Ending
by PastelKirby
Summary: (Warning! Everything up to KSA spoilers!) Instead of vanishing in a puff of magic, Morpho Knight and Meta Knight attempt to make peace; with plans to fight a common enemy. (Rated T for 'mild coarse language' and descriptions of injury. Nothing too major, just to play it safe and keep my options more open :D)
1. Where a Battle Ends with Uneasy Peace

Morpho jumped away from what should have been the final blow. He held his sword up defensively, trying to analyze the situation. An oddly familiar knight had beaten him within an inch of his life- the life that he had just reclaimed. His opponent had been a blur of blue and silver wielding the lightning flashes of a golden blade- until this moment of silence- a moment of calm. Sky-blue flowers fenced their battleground, the largest of which rested upon an altar. The rift that had opened within it had long closed, stranding the red knight inside the room of sacrifice.

When he looked up, he could see the stars.

A blue barrier separated him from their freedom.

He considered his life until this moment, a butterfly lying adrift in time for as long as he could remember, only to be released from his silence by a pink warrior. Memories of being sealed away in a crystal by hooded figures, to be freed and fought, lost to Another Dimension, and finding a way out crossed his mind as well. Memories of fighting this knightmare who harnessed lightning and a pink demon of infinite abilities as the galactic crisis crossed his mind. These memories co-existed with the memories of a pink puff who friended those around him and a courageous knight who tried to maintain peace. Morpho considered these other times as a spectator, using them to calm his mind despite his own urge to flee.

He could feel the hatred of the galactic crisis surging at the puffs, and he was determined to show it that there was more to their names.

The fire in his heart dimmed to candlelight within that moment of peace. He was freed from both roles- he could finally be in control. He wanted to leave within that moment, to go and roam the stars above, to find what he had missed. His heart soared for the first time in such a long time, the feeling nearly hurt.

His internal flame roared into his throat when the blue knight broke the silence. A soft _click_ echoed around them. He felt his stomach lurch from both memories- the fear of what had been the second-strongest warrior and the fear of a voice left silenced. His fear of the situation rested inside of the spectator, his fear of the knight before him lied within the galactic crisis.

When he focused on his enemy again, he realized the blade of lighting was sealed away at his side. The blade's name crossed his mind despite never meeting the blue puff- the warrior helping to fill the pieces of the story he could never find... _Galaxia_. The noise must have come from locking it away. Their flame dimmed again- a torch rather than a candle. The spectator was too afraid to calm the warrior further.

Meta had locked Galaxia into its sheath, nothing more than a gesture of peace. He could draw it back out in the flash of an eye, but he bore no ill-intention. He held his breath for a moment, slowing his mind from the rush of battle. He could feel how close the newcomer was to defeat; he could see how much damage he had done.

The first step he took made the black puff flinch from behind their blade. He tried to make himself as welcoming as an armored knight could, relaxing his shoulders and folding his wings. He walked slowly, watching for a response from the butterfly. When half of the distance was met, the butterfly lowered his sword. He pointed it to the altar and released his grip, allowing it to vanish in a cloud of red embers.

Meta smiled from behind his mask, surprised at the butterfly's compliance. He continued to walk forward, still gauging their mannerisms. They seemed calmer, yet their shoulders visibly shook from several meters away. Their clash had ended, leaving the black puff to replace their battle-readied hatred with what rested underneath.

The blue puff with the lightning blade stopped at a comfortable distance away. His eyes flashed green, just long enough for Morpho to notice. The blue puff held out an empty hand- the one which held the sacred blade only moments ago.

"Who are you?" The blue puff asked, a harmless question that could not grace with an answer. He was the collective of two memories, the tragic past of a lance wielder and a witness to Dreamland's history balled up into a puff of fear and violence. He felt himself loosen his grip from reality for a moment.

"I am…" Was his eyes the same amber as the knight before him or the deep crimson of the strongest warrior? "I…" Was he more of the butterfly lost to history or the soldier sealed for his power? "I am… Morpho… Knight…" Even his voice was unfamiliar. Too high-pitched to be the galactic crisis, too low for the butterfly.

The confusion and weakness in the red knight's voice left Meta feeling uneasy as well. Their white eyes blinked from behind their mask, then furrowed into crescents. They held their gloved hands up, staring into their own palms as if the answer rested inside.

When the black puff's eyes dimmed, Meta noticed the slight sway in their stance. Just as the butterfly dipped forward, Meta lurched to close the distance between them. As he hooked an arm around the puff, he narrowly dodged the butterfly's wings- he was afraid of doing more damage. He considered removing his own shoulder pads, but that would require him to let go of Morpho.

He looked up to the stars from behind the force field.


	2. Friendship is Discussed with an Edgeborb

His gaze met with what he hoped to see: Kirby had found a way to slip past the barrier with the Warp Star. Nearly overjoyed at the sight of his friend, the pink puff jumped from the star as it glided down, landing next to the knights with an unexpectedly quiet _thunk._ His smile vanished at the sight of the defeated puff, replaced with a determined glint in his eyes.

Galacta was calm. He had nearly forgotten the feeling that the ancients tried to preserve by sealing him away, years of nonstop resentment for everything around him overcrowding any possible reflection until this moment. Memories of the knightmare and pink demon had been dulled with scenes of friends enjoying cake together and trying to save the world. He saw the blue knight working to build a giant flying ship, he saw the pink warrior playing with children of a village, and how he was a mere child himself. He saw an overweight penguin and an orange ball helping them to befriend a modern Halcandran.

He saw the blue knight watch over the actions of the pink child, carefully planning his next move to train and mentor him without explicitly showing it. He saw what could have been his life through the butterfly. Peace, calm, fun. The first pings of sorrow the knight had felt in centuries wrecked his mind.

The longer the butterfly stayed with him, the better he could see. This blue knight originally freed him to test his own strength and succeeded, not knowing who he would face. He had no plans of freeing him in particular, which he understood.

He also understood his own feelings of being used by the butterfly. It was trying to subdue him, which he could forgive. It was working, and the rage that was locked within him could finally rest.

 _He was certain that he would have an aneurysm if he continued to wage his war with the world._

With his unbridled rage, he would surely _kill_ himself. He had been defeated multiple times, yet never faced a permanent end. No amount of lance-swinging could stop the toll of stress in his mind. Perhaps it was the butterfly's invasion that brought the idea to his mind- made him notice the headache and heartache he had suppressed with anger.

He was aware enough to know that he had passed out. The butterfly was sharing a consciousness with him, allowing each other to see everything from their own points of view. When they had fought the knightmare, Galacta found himself moving in ways not quite his own. He had always found himself better suited with a lance than a sword, yet the butterfly had influenced his mind, righting the wrongs in his ill-trained form. They had fused into one- a very confused and powerful soldier.

The butterfly was influenced by Galacta as well, he found the names of more weapons and machines that they could share. NOVA, Lor Starcutter, Master Crown, various swords and rods crossed its mind from the warrior. It gave more memories in return, from the dark matter attacks, modern planets and the hardships faced within, to the jester who abused the power of a NOVA and failed. Both learned from each other, both inched closer to becoming one consciousness.

 _Both of them were okay with that idea. They had been trapped and were now free. If this were to be the price to pay, so be it._

Kirby coaxed the Warp Star to the ground and assisted Meta Knight with placing the fallen puff on top, minding the knight's red wings as well. There was usually more than enough room for four people on top of the star, yet they struggled to keep Morpho on top and still have room for themselves. Meta sighed and hopped on, using one of his wings to hold the other knight down.

Once the two were settled as best as Meta could manage, Kirby crawled onto the star. Morpho had the center of the star to himself, and Kirby could see Meta's foot dangling off of the side to make room. He decided to do the same despite his smaller frame.

Kirby considered using a friend heart on the black puff, but had the idea shot down by Meta. He explained that Morpho needed to adjust- befriended the usual way. He hesitated to explain his own idea that the knight was afraid of them, eventually giving into the child's pleas of curiosity.

Once their brief conversation ended, Kirby tried to think of ways to help friend the knight. The soft hum of the warp star helped him focus. His mind immediately drifted to food, he always felt better after eating! They could try...

-Going to Whispy Woods for a picnic. (You do that with people you're already friends with… and Morpho might not like apples! Though he doubted it, who doesn't like apples?)

-They could buy Pep Brews in town… (Soda isn't for everyone… Meta said it was an acquired taste..? He liked drinking _plain_ water though! _Bleh!_ )

-Eating with Dedede? (The castle was full of nasty food from his Jamba-driven lunch! There was no way he's eat in there until it was cleaned, especially _with_ someone!)

A few more ideas came and went. Fishing, walking, tag… None of the plans worked for the situation. Maybe Meta could help…

"Meta! What do other k-ights like to do?" The knight glanced over, his eyes shining pink in response to the question.

"It's pronounced 'nights,' Kirby. The 'K' is silent." He smiled when the boy repeated the word, "Well, I don't know." he looked forward again, green drifting across his glowing eyes.

"That doesn't help!" Kirby pouted, sighing dramatically. He looked forward too, noticing Popstar in the near distance. He watched the stars float by, reconsidering his options

"We could talk over tea?" Meta offered, knowing the question Kirby intended to ask. 'How would _you_ friend someone?' _How would you friend someone you've fought time and time again- who would have much preferred to flee than ever speak outside of battle?_ He had no clue.

"That's no fun… but ot-kay." Kirby smiled, kicking his dangling foot lightly. He was alright with the idea, especially since that was when Meta broke out the candy jar!

"I'm sure you'll be able to have fun with him later, but we need to start slow with him. He knows things we do not, I'm sure of it." Meta explained. "He is very weak as well, although you have likely noticed."

The pink puff nodded, glancing over the thin wounds of the fallen knight. He could clearly see their face, unlike Meta's mask, and giggled suddenly, noticing a small trail of drool from between the red plates of their mask. He hoped they would be nice once they woke up.


	3. The Strongest Warrior Hates Car Alarms

Within the heart of Jambandra Base, Hyness awoke from his second taste of defeat. The magic coursing through his veins told him the portal he opened had closed. The sinking pit in his stomach told him that the galactic crisis escaped into this dimension. He huffed and flopped back down onto the cold, metal floor. _Where would it have gone?_

 _Probably off to destroy Gamble Galaxy,_ he figured dryly. He wanted to care, to be concerned for the lives that could be lost. **_The only thing that mattered was that he needed the damned thing to recover Void Termina._**

He looked over at the three mages scattered on the floor. In desperation, he had drained their lives to expand his. _Twice._ He watched the nearest mage for a moment. "Zann..?"

He tried to call out to her, but her full name fell short on his mind and lips. She did not respond.

"Zann?" No response. He felt air hitch in his throat, nearly choking in its force. He prepared to call out again-

"...why..?" She grumbled, just loud enough for him to hear. With barely enough energy to speak, she remained motionless on the floor. Hyness felt a sharp ache in his chest, as if someone had unzipped him and drove a needle through his heart.

 _Guilt._ Such an unforgiving feeling, almost enough to bring the already broken wizard to tears. He had _used_ her.

The fabled 'Galacta Knight' was free to roam these lands regardless of her nearly comatose state. Void Termina's power faded from Hyness's 'magic radar,' though he was unsure of the cause. His weakened state definitely added to the uncertainty, but the Void was either dying, shattering, or fleeing. He was inclined to believe fleeing, though mostly out of concern for the effort it would take to resolve the other two options.

Hyness could also swear up and down that the group which defeated him contained a _very_ familiar face.

The color returned to the trio as he mused over what had transpired, yet their power was still faint. They needed time to rest, as did the wizard himself. They had to recover and reseal the knight as soon as they could, and now was as good of a time as ever to plan. First, though, Hyness had to regain the trust of the trio. He feared pushing them too far, losing his last ties to the life he held before everyone else betrayed him.

* * *

The Warp Star entered Popstar's atmosphere, slowing down and teetering in response. Kirby witnessed milky-white eyes flutter open, blinking their way out of a dream. _So pretty! They glow like Meta's too!_ The child found his mouth opening to greet the knight and-

A butterfly, twice the size of the one Morpho had been before meeting the warrior, plastered itself across his face. The star under him lurched as the weight of the black puff escaped. Meta grunted, but Kirby couldn't see why.

"Morp-o no!" He shrieked and briefly lost his grip on the Warp Star, nearly plummeting into Reef Resort. No matter how much he pawed at it, the butterfly wouldn't release itself from his face. He whirred his head around, hoping for any kind of sign that the knight hadn't slipped into the water far below.

He heard a quiet, melancholy voice next to him apologize. The butterfly disappeared in a bright flash, revealing the knight gliding the same path as the star.

Galacta hated to admit it, but the sound of the small puff babbling his new name nearly split his heart in two. He was afraid of a _child_. He had materialized a sword out of fear and was ready to kill… The butterfly stopped him from landing an undefended hit, but he was aware that his violent tendencies may be rubbing off on it. He felt guilty for that as well.

"Is your wing alright, Meta Knight?" They remembered how the blue puff's wing had been wrapped around them, and felt the pit of guilt deepen. There was comfort in the knight holding them onto the star, since the butterfly had seen how _cold_ he could be.

He nodded, "I'm fine, thank you." he paused, allowing his eyes to flash an assortment of colors before adding; "though, I would have preferred a warning beforehand."

The most jarring noise the butterfly had ever heard wasn't dark matter-influenced war cries, Chef Kawasaki reading off his specialties of the week, or the whirs and clicks of Haltmann turning Popstar into a giant machine.

 _It was the unexpectedly warm laugh of the withdrawn knight._

The greatest weakness of the greatest soldier was _sarcasm._ They laughed too, beginning as a shrill, nervous wheeze that eased up in moments. Kirby started giggling, not quite understanding why the two knights reacted so strongly, only that one sentence had broken the ice with someone even more reserved than Meta.

Kirby also laughed because he could tell that Meta was trying to open up, even if for a moment. He hadn't heard Meta laugh since Magolor was around!

The small puff hopped closer to Meta, rubbing the water from his eyes. He waited for the red knight to recollect too.

"Morp-o, grab on!" He called back, patting the empty space on the Warp Star. The warrior, already weakened by a silly joke, took little coaxing by the butterfly to latch onto the star.

Meta made note of how much less room Morpho took up when he was coherent.

The warp star landed on the beaches of Orange Ocean at dusk. Once the two knights stepped off, Kirby gave the star's peak a hug and sent it off. When he turned around, Meta was gone!

Morpho watched the knight slip off to a large boulder buried in the sand. He ducked behind it, almost long enough for the puff to investigate further.

* * *

 **【ＣＨＩＲＰ ＣＨＩＲＰ】**

* * *

The loud, jolting noise that echoed from the water sent the skittish warrior skyward. They turned to face the source of the noise, hand open to receive a materializing sword. They expected a giant bird or whale to be in the water, something large and violent.

Their eyes fell upon a _dome_.

They blinked, expecting the dome to reveal itself as an enemy. It chirped again and split open, revealing a winged ship. The front was shaped like Meta Knight's mask. He glided back down, _the ancients didn't have such loud battleships._

He wasn't sure if he meant the noise that scared him senseless or the narcissistic design.

By the time their feet touched the ground, Meta had already crossed a dock leading to the Halberd's hiding place. A cape was wrapped around the knight. Its fabric was only slightly darker than his skin, the cuff of its collar was mint-green. They wondered how he had gotten it and where it was kept.

A door lowered from the 'chin' of the Halberd's mask. The locks that controlled its descent popped as they stepped inside. Meta Knight turned to a small control board built into the wall, pressing buttons in a flurry. The door clicked once, twice, and gave up. The metal slammed into the concrete platform.

Meta glanced over to the source of the noise and sighed. Another key combination entered, another response from the great machine. An overhead speaker crackled to life. "Sir Meta Knight?" it asked.

"Sword, Blade, come here." He replied, still facing the keyboard.

"Right away sir!"

"-Yes sir!" The two voices replied. _Click_ , and they were gone.

Morpho was absolutely _stunned_ by the interior of the ship. From what little he could see from the main entrance, he could tell how much time and money the knight had spent on it. The outside was elaborate and unnecessary; the inside was sleek and functional.

 _Except for the horn and door._

Meta punched in another code, opening a different door nearby.

"Excuse me," Meta slipped into the room. The lights flickered on, off, and he was back with a toolbox. "Kirby, can you show Sir Morpho where the kitchen is? I will meet you two there once _this,"_ he held a hand up to the door, "is resolved."

Morpho continued to gawk over the interior as the pink puff led him through. Each corridor had a similar keyboard installed to their corners. Someone had covered a few of them with plastic sheets and signs that said: 'Maintenance.'

The third maintenance hall had its sheet taken down. Torn, black-stained metal was twisted away to reveal wires and circuits. What had been a window was blown out, leaving behind glass shards. Whoever was in charge of cleaning must have fought demons before taking up that job: especially if the other halls were anywhere near as bad as the torn mess that lied next to the knight.

They stopped, mesmerized. "Holy… wow." They stepped closer, trying to think of anything with enough power to deal that kind of damage.


	4. Defeat and Reunion

Kirby made his way to the next hall before he realized that the clink of armor had stopped following him. He turned around to see the black puff edging closer to one of the damaged rooms. He rushed back to him, eyes wide in fear.

"Morp-o poy!" he skidded to a halt between them and the hallway. "Broken glass! Is too dangerous!" he tried to explain. They reacted by stepping back, holding up their hands protectively.

"Heh, you're right… Do you know what happened?" They relented, smiling.

Kirby's eyes lit up, jumping at his chance for story time! "Mister Haltmann came with a hUUUge amount of robobots." Morpho held his laughter over the boy's pronunciation of 'robots,' and the dramatic waving of hands that ensued.

"He wanted Popstar for… Something! But he had bad plans, und he tore down Dedede's castle. I fought him und Susie, she ended up on my side… I think, und I used one of the robobots to take control of Meta's ship!"

Despite the puff's strained speech, Morpho was completely engaged. They had continued walking as he told the tale of the ship's damage.

"Haltmann was used by… Star Dream, und had wanted Popstar to get his wish done." He paused, looking back at Morpho. "Do you know who NOVA is?"

They nodded, taken back by the name of the ancient technology. "Ot-kay, I think NOVA is Star's bwother… Star was silver though. We went into space und Star turned out to be Haltmann's entire base! My robobot was shot during the fight, und the damage had stayed with the Halberd when we det-deta… Separated!" He giggled, "Meta was so mad! I could hear him yelling from the front of the ship… He won't let me help fix anything though!"

"You… Fought a NOVA?" The strongest warrior wasn't surprised; the butterfly was.

"Yes? No? Mm… I fought Marx. He took my wish und wanted to rule Dreamland. He crashed und destroyed NOVA. Star Dream isn't **the** NOVA."

"Hey hey hey! Did somebody say 'Marx?'" A strongly-inflected voice echoed from around the next corner. A small, lavender-skinned jester and a wobbly blue ball appeared in the path.

"Marx! Gooey!" Kirby cried out, running into a hug from both figures.

"Hey you goof! How ya doing?" Marx smiled, showing off small fangs. He looked up at Morpho briefly. "Did Meta get a new mask? Wait a sec…"

The jester sprouted a pair of wings and vanished in a puff of purple smoke. A pair of glowing, purple eyes overtook Morpho's vision. They reached for their sword again, holding their ground.

"Tsk tsk, that won't work here, friend!" The snake eyes responded. Morpho looked over to see the embers of their power frozen in time.

"Now then, I can feel that energy of yours." The jester backed away, revealing that his body had changed slightly. His bow was unraveling, his shoes were longer, and his hat's pom-poms were spiked. A purple aura had taken over his body. "Don't try anything funny with Kirby, I'm the trickster here, _buddy."_

Morpho stumbled back upon hearing the garbled laughter that erupted from the boy.

"Oh!" Marx's laugh caught in his throat, "No, I was teasing!" He turned back to normal, yet the purple fog still radiated from his body. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you would…"

"It's okay. I get it." Morpho took to their feet, listening to the strain in their own voice. "There was a reason Galacta was sealed. I understand." _They were bitter._

The boy sat down in front of the knight. "You're _Galacta Knight_?! I thought that NOVA was acting weird!"

"I was, now I am…" _Different. Changed. Morpho? Where had the name Morpho even come from?_

"Not quite what you were? _Saaaame_ dude. NOVA's power didn't quite kick the bucket for me when I blew it up."

"I am not the result of a NOVA." Morpho explained, "I was already powerful before meeting that _cursed_ machine. I- we- we had a second chance by meeting each other. I am a butterfly and a warrior in one body."

"Your eyes change colors!"

"Huh?"

"They were pink, then they changed to orange, now they're white again!"

"I… didn't know that." _Interesting._

On that note, Marx warped to where he was before their conversation. He winked at the knight and unfroze time. The knight's blade clattered to the ground.

Kirby flinched and turned back to Morpho. "What was that?"

"Nothing, sorry." The sword flashed away yet again.

Gooey stuck out his tongue and poked Kirby in the back. He warbled something quietly as the pink puff turned, and jumped into the air. Orange spheres phased through his body as he hovered. Kirby laughed and jumped too, inflating himself with air to float with his friend.

Metal-against-metal footsteps drew close from behind the black puff. They turned to see Meta Knight- flanked by two armed swordsmen. His eyes churned between green and orange as he walked by.

"Oh, hey blueberry!" Marx called, grinning cheekily.

"Did you install that horrendous noise into the locks?"

"Maybe."

Meta sighed, "Good job, then. It took more work to remove than we thought it would."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Do not do make modifications to the Halberd again."

"Yessir!"

The blue knight led them to the kitchen once he felt his point to be made. The green knights flanked him directly, while the rest left themselves in a disorganized mess. Gooey and Kirby babbled to each other, their voices low and their language incoherent. Marx was walking at the same pace as Morpho, but neither attempted to start a conversation.


	5. Surely You Be Jestin!

When Meta Knight said 'kitchen,' Morpho expected something out of someone's home. He was met with a _cafeteria._ There were nine tables, each with four chairs drilled into the floor.

The kitchen itself was the size of a standard living room- including a serving counter.

"Did you plan on housing a platoon here?" Morpho found the question slipping before he could catch it.

"Yes, actually." The blue knight responded, glancing back. "We fought a corporation who made demon beasts. Sixteen heros were on board during the flight."

His eyes danced with swirls of blue and pink, before settling back into yellow.

"That was the first ship design. We've had to drag this one out of Orange Ocean- ended up renovating it a couple times." The shorter, green knight continued.

"The right wing is being repaired from a recent event- you've seen where we were working." The taller knight finished.

"Kirby filled me in on the details." Morpho laughed, "Quite the little narrator here,"

Morpho couldn't shake the Halberd's similarities to the ancient technology Galacta was used to. From the smooth, polished surface of the walls, to the faint, blue tint that shone in the metal; it all felt very familiar to the warrior. They wanted to go back to the times before everyone lost their trust in him. Their heart ached for what felt like the tenth time that day, ready to burst in their self-pity.

Their daydream jolted away when they noticed a strange, little box behind the counter. A screen sat in the corner, displaying 19:30 in glowing red. A number-pad sat under the screen, along with a few more buttons.

"Is that… a bomb?" Their heart jumped into their throat- feet frozen in the doorway. The warrior fought to free himself, to get away from whatever _that thing_ was. The butterfly held him still, whispering to just wait a moment. It looked too _square_ to be a bomb, _but what did he know?_

"It's a microwave. We use it when we're too lazy to cook anything properly." Marx replied, grinning widely.

"Oh, is that so?" The taller knight spun on his heel to face the jester. His tone was more serious than he intended, yet held his ground.

"You bet!" Marx giggled, backing away. He sounded brash, yet his eyes matched those of the strongest warrior's fallen enemies; like a caged animal.

The shorter knight turned as well, "Excuse me? We cook _properly_ for you all the time!"

The two knights stepped closer to the boy, almost in perfect sync. He shrieked loudly and backed away. His bones popped as he unhinged his jaw.

"Poy?" Kirby turned, expecting a murder scene.

What he got was a beach ball to the face.

By the time Meta realized the situation had escalated, he was faced with a pink puff whose face was turning red from being slapped, a winged jester whose jaw was flopped onto the floor, along with his two apprentices, who had ducked away from the projectile.

"Sword! Blade! Control yourselves!" He found himself at Kirby's side, looking over the boy carefully. Besides the tears lining his eyes and the bright red blemish that rivaled his blush, he seemed unharmed. The ball had knocked him off of his feet though, giving Meta the notion that he may have a concussion. He doubted it, but still considered keeping an eye on the puff.

He noticed that Morpho had retreated behind the doorway, hard-pressed into the wall like a child.

He… didn't mean that. He realized that the red knight was still injured from their battle, and that their reaction could have been more violent. Using the wall as a shield was fine.

What wasn't fine was Marx refusing to accept repercussions for his words. He looked over to the lavender jester, ready to deliver an earful about how he needed to stop prodding his subordinates.

Gooey murmured and plopped down next to Kirby, licking his friend's hand gently.

"Is-okay Gooey." Kirby smiled and scooted closer, patting the top of the blue glob's head.

"You're… red now!" Gooey poked the pink puff between his eyes with his tongue.

Kirby laughed, causing the pinpricks of tears in his eyes to run free. He missed Gooey! Even though both of them were such good friends, they hadn't seen each other since Popstar's rings shattered! He figured that was okay though, since they finally got to see each other again!

A purple vortex appeared next to them. It spit out a purple ball.

"Kirby, save me!" Marx whined, kicking himself to his feet and ducking behind the duo.

"Marx, what?" Kirby was stunned at the drop-in, wasn't he just at the other side of the room?

"Blueberry's mad at me again!"

"Oh, iss okay Meta!" The reddened puff stood up and faced Meta Knight, smiling effortlessly. "Not hurt!"

A pause, then another flash of pink. "Alright." He turned back to his subordinates, explaining their plan to talk with Morpho.

Speaking of Morpho…

Kirby waddled up the the knight and poked his gloved hand. He reacted by visibly jolting away and looking over.

"Oh, hey there." Morpho eased up and stepped away from the wall, feeling his face turn hot in embarrassment. "So, uh, what's up?"

Kirby pointed over to the counter, where an oversized tea kettle rested. "What iss your favorite tea? Meta wants to know."

Morpho hesitated, "Tell him to surprise me, I don't have a favorite." He hadn't had tea in such a long time… He was sure the taste would be absolutely foreign.

"Ot-kay!" The boy rushed back into the kitchen.

 _God, he needed a break._ The only time he had properly rested was when he was sealed into the crystal, and even that wasn't _proper._ The ten-minute nap he took out of shock definitely didn't count to that total either. He considered curling up back into the corner and dozing, but became aware of how silly the idea was instantly.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" The voice of the purple jester from before…

"...Marx, was it?" Morpho confirmed, then paused. "a lot, I suppose. Mostly sleep, though."

Marx barked a quick laugh, "Don't we all!"

…

 _Was he trying to make friends?_ The warrior was confused, nervous under this spotlight of attention.

"You've got pink-eye again." Marx noted, leaning closer for a moment.

"What- oh." _Did it have something to do with the warrior?_

"We'll, you can sit down anywhere. We have time to kill." He tipped his head over to the nearest table, "They're gonna be perfectionists with the cookies again and I can't really help."

"Ahah, I see."

 _And perfectionists they were._

Kirby and Gooey watched from the sidelines as the two knights shuffled across the counters, turning the simple act of cooking pre-mixed dough into a competition. Meta was off to the side, filling that giant kettle with water and sitting it on his stovetop.

Three ovens, divided by counters, cabinets, and sinks lined the walls. Kirby noted that it was essentially three different kitchens thrown into one giant room. Everything besides the floor itself was set up in pairs. Meta worked with the arrangement farthest from the door, while Sword had the closest.

Gooey wobbled closer to him, murmuring happily in the boy's presence. The pair was back in the corner, farthest away from the clanging of pans and the whistling of kettles. They babbled together, throwing in dashes of proper language for spice.

They spoke of their time apart, their favorite foods and colors, anything that passed their shifting minds. Gooey had spit out a parasol at one point and twirled it around on his tongue, an action that was… not dignified, to say the least. Kirby found great humor in it though, giggling and kicking himself further into the corner.

Three different timers cried their alarms in unison, causing all but the three temporary chefs to flinch. Two trays of cookies were pulled out of two ovens, the kettle was shifted away from a glowing element. A third tin of biscuits was pulled from the pantry, spread over a third tray, and left on top of Sword's oven to warm up.

Kirby wasn't too sure of what two of the trays held, but Blade's tray had chocolate cookies!

"Sword, Blade, help me with these." Meta opened his cabinet and took down three different teapots. Each pot was left open briefly, only long enough to catch teaspoons of dried, dark leaves.

Whatever it was, it was ready!


End file.
